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Skubal Elbow Surgery Sidelines Tigers Ace as Valdez Meltdown Exposes Rotation Strain

A murky two-to-three month timeline forces roster triage that could sway his free-agent price.

Overview

  • Tarik Skubal, who went on the 15-day injured list Monday, is set for arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow with a typical two to three month recovery still uncertain until doctors operate.
  • With the rotation in flux, rookie right-hander Ty Madden was called up and delivered five scoreless innings in bulk relief during Monday’s bullpen game.
  • Framber Valdez allowed a career-high 10 runs and was ejected Tuesday after hitting Trevor Story following back-to-back Red Sox homers, which led to benches clearing at Comerica Park.
  • Detroit’s injury pileup now includes roughly $90 million in payroll on the injured list, and RotoWire rates the Tigers as the most-injured club using its severity score.
  • Reporters describe active trade chatter for short-term starters such as Sonny Gray, Freddy Peralta, and Sandy Alcantara, and analysts say Skubal’s absence could complicate his bid for a record free-agent deal this winter.